Sunday, 24 April 2011

The British DX Club (BDXC) "Broadcasts In English" guide for the A-11 shortwave season is out now.

It covers all English broadcasts from end of March to end of October 2011, in UTC time format, with frequencies and target areas, along with other useful information.

A handy A5 guide it’s easy to take away with you on your summer travels too.

Available from BDXC (BIE), 10 Hemdean Hill, Caversham, Reading, RG4 7SB. It costs £2.50 in the UK for a paper copy (cheques to British DX Club) and it is also available as a pdf version for the same cost. More details at www.bdxc.org.uk

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Chrissy Brand brings you a round up of the broadcast bands. This month the need for shortwave is emphasised again as crises hit Egypt and Australia, and she looks at the wide variety of the international and national signals being heard by readers.

Tuning to TunisiaThere was turmoil in Tunisia as the jasmine revolution took place in January and February. If you understand Arabic you would have been able to hear what the state broadcaster said via Radio Tunisienne. Sadly they only broadcast in Arabic, although they do accept reception reports in French as well. They broadcast to Europe daily from 0400 to 0625 on 7275kHz from a transmitter at Sfax. Broadcasts to North Africa can be heard from 0200 UTC on 9725 and 12005kHz; 0600 to 0810 UTC on 7335kHz; 1600 to 2000 UTC on 9725 and 12005kHz; 1700 to 2100 UTC on 7225; and 1900 to 2100 UTC on 7345kHz. Reception reports are accepted in Arabic and French, according to the 2011 World Radio and TV Handbook, and the station address is Radio Tunisienne, 71 Ave de la Liberte, TN 1012, Tunis, Tunisia. Email ittisal@ertt.nat.tn

Whilst not able to hear the news directly from Tunisia’s broadcasters, other English language stations covered the events in Tunisia. There was a interesting discussion on the BBC World Service (0730 UTC on 12095kHz) a month after the revolution took place, with a Tunisian activist and a politician. It was agreed that the hard part of consolidating the revolution is yet to come, that of instigating change and democracy. A democratic mechanism already in place which outstrips the western world is the employees of the state television service voting for who should sit on the state television’s editorial board. Other innovations include a union for school children.Floods and cyclones on shortwaveAustralia, especially the state of Queensland, suffered terribly with floods swiftly followed by Cyclone Yasi in February. Shortwave was mobilised via the Shepparton transmitter site in Victoria and became an invaluable supplement to failing FM and medium wave networks as an emergency channel for Australians in peril. “Tune to 9701 or 6080kHz if your local ABC transmitter goes off air. Shortwave radio might be crackly but it works"‏ became an ABC mantra during the crises, as 5995, 6080, 7240, 9475, 9710 and 11660 kHz carried updates and warnings.

ABC Brisbane on 612kHz medium wave relayed programming onto shortwave 6080kHz, and with the transmitter in Cairns expected to be damaged by the cyclone, again shortwave was lined up as a safer transmission method, relaying the ABC’s northern Queensland regional radio service. These shortwave broadcasts were also picked up by the DX community, who tuned in with concern. The lesson to be learned and adhered to is one which DXers already know, but seems to have been forgotten by many international broadcasters, is the power of shortwave, in times of crisis, and the need to maintain it in times of stability.

Actual programme content covered the flood areas, the calls to evacuate Brisbane, how to prepare livestock and how they react to floods, and phone callers from Barrier Reef islands with updates on conditions as the cyclone weaved its way westwards. All in all it was harrowing enough listen from the other side of the world, let alone being caught in the heart of it.

Radio Australia later covered the history of floods in the country in their Rear Vision programme (9500kHz). There was an emphasis on the need to pay more attention to history as previous lessons in floods have not been learned. Melbourne based writer Richard Evans is an expert on Australian natural disasters and was interviewed, in a programme which contained 1950s and 1970s archive material from previous major floods. The programme mentioned that there were major floods in Brisbane and Ipswich throughout the 19th Century but the building of the Somerset dam in the 1950s improved the situation in the area.

Egalitarian EgyptiansThe Egyptian revolution brought up some interesting observations on broadcasting. With the revolution evolving through social media such as Facebook and Twitter, the Mubarak regime found a simple solution. Deny the citizens their main communication tool by shutting off internet, mobile phone and satellite television access. There were ten days when the internet was blocked, but by then the anti-Mubarak momentum was unstoppable. The cities of Alexandra and Cairo were packed with people demanding chance, and broadcasters from all over covering these events.

The state broadcaster Radio Cairo is part of ERTU (Egyptian Radio and Television Union). It usually produces a good signal in English to western Europe on 6270kHz from 2115 to 2245 UTC, but was noticeably silent for a couple of weeks, even when its other services were back on air. It will be worth monitoring over the coming months. Daily broadcasts were still going out as I checked and heard them online via the World Radio Network. Arabic can be heard with a strong signal on 9305kHz in the evenings and 17510kHz by day. During the turbulent times the station often resorted to an emergency broadcast playing Arabic music, with the occasional news bulletin. Radio Cairo’s address is Egyptian Radio & TV Union, ERTU Building, Masspiro, Korniche El Nil St, Cairo, Egypt.

Brian Buckley in London was quick off the mark to follow Egyptian events live from the source. He writes: “I have a motorised satellite system in addition to Sky, and because the interference on the radio where I live is just so high, I like to go through all the satellites trawling for radio stations - amazing what's available and so clear too - I'm watching events in Cairo on the tv at the moment, with Radio Cairo's European Service playing in the background as clear as a bell! I remember many years ago when I used to listen to Cairo regularly on SW, it had a sort of exotic feeling to its sound, an atmosphere, like you could almost feel the heat of the Cairo evening coming across the airwaves. It sounded faint and sort of muffled which added to its mystery and charm - Radio Cairo on satellite is not like that.”

The Cairo crisis proves how shortwave is still necessary to reach some audiences, and runs another huge hole through the repercussions of BBC World Service proposed cuts in shortwave to places such as Egypt and China in favour of internet-only streaming. Chinese authorities already block the internet, so BBC internet broadcasts are unlikely to reach their audience. There is also the argument that internet access in some parts of the world is non-existent, unreliable, slow or expensive, and it is only the western world which has a profligate number of computer users.

In Egypt there are an estimated 400,000 listeners to BBC Arabic on shortwave, part of a 3.4 million BBC audience in the country (out of a population of 82 million). Admittedly BBC Arabic is set to continue on local medium wave and FM outlets in Egypt. The Guardian reports that with short wave broadcasts of the BBC Arabic service also due to cease in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank, Libya, Iraq and the Maghreb region of North Africa, it is expected to lead to the loss of around 5.7 million listeners across the region. "The Egyptian government's attempt to close down the internet and mobile phone network demonstrates how short sighted the current World Service transmission policy is," said an NUJ BBC World Service official."In a volatile world the World Service needs to maintain its own network of transmitters beyond the reach of dictators so it can continue to reach its audience."

It would also be far better if the BBC continued shortwave in Mandarin to China, as even the Chinese jamming of shortwave signals is far from 100% successful. I am hardly the first person to express these views and I have said them before, but it is timely to reiterate them.

SW Round upI have been enjoying a good signal from Tibet of late. The Tibet People's Broadcasting Station broadcast from Lhasa on 4905, 4920 and 5240kHz from 2230 UTC. Although this is aimed at Asia it is picked up easily enough in Europe. One of the more interesting programmes included an item on Tibetan festivals, mentioning “the happy moment when people are celebrating”, such as a festival in Lhasa each August and International Women’s Day in March. This Chinese led station started in 1959 and the address I have written to them at is Tibet People's Broadcasting Station, Lhasa, Beijing Middle Road No.41,Tibet Autonomous Region, Postal Code 850000, China. The two email addresses I found bounced back, so I will keep you informed if I receive a reply via snail mail.

Fred Wilmshurst in Northampton comments that he has monitored Radio Thailand “during both English schedules, 1900 to 2000 UTC on 7570kHz and 2030 to 2045 on 9535kHz. On each occasion a strength 5 unmodulated carrier was evident for some time prior to the scheduled opening. After a five minute late start ethnic music only was played and continued long after the scheduled English transmission was due to close. No announcements of any kind were made during the period monitored. The music was ok though. So much for automation!”

Simon Rudd picked up a Swedish speaking station on 630kHz mw at a little after midnight, using his Eton 750. It was playing some classic Roxy Music with Bryan Ferry and Phil Manzanera. “Great stuff!” Simons says, but he was unable to identify the station itself. The best guess I can come up with is that it was one of thw Norwegian NRK stations, perhaps with a late night Swedish broadcast.

Keeping up with the developments in Egypt, Simon shrewdly tuned into Libya and the Voice of Africa, on 17725kHz at 1455 UTC with a 343 SIO. There was a discussion on the legend of Nelson Mandela and coverage of the Egyptian popular unrest. With the unrest spreading around the North African region, it will be worth keeping an ear on the Voice of Africa over coming months, for its unique perspective. Will Libya’s Colonel Gaddafi be one of the next leaders to topple?

Simon also writes that he has been “having a lot of fun with the Eton Satellit 750, especially when tuning into German medium wave broadcasting. I can’t speak German, though I’m thinking of learning. I do have a German dictionary and can of course identify the times when referred to in newscasts. I have also discovered the Eton 750 to be more than adequate when tuning into the HF Maritime Band. The clarifier makes fine tuning an easy option. Just now I tuned into RN Plymouth data channel on 2834kHz and it is adjacent to Radio Benghazi in far away Libya.”

Bradley Allen in Whitstable heard Radio Gloria International on 6005kHz. This is one of the Sunday free radio stations and it operates via the facilities of Radio 700 in Germany. At 1030 UTC it was playing various music and also a commercial for the Offshore Echoes magazine. Bradley has also been listening to Free Speech Radio News on Friday evenings on 6090kHz via the IRRS (Italian Radio Relay Service). He tells us that their programmes commence at 1900 UTC, whilst on Saturday evenings at the same time you can hear Glenn Hauser’s World of Radio. On Sundays he has been listening to a feature programme called 39 Dover Street from 1917 UTC. He would also like to know the title of the piece of classical music used by IRRS when it signs on, something which I hope to find out for next time. You can write to the station at IRRS, PO Box 10980, 20110, Milano, Italy.

Bradley poses a couple of questions. Firstly he would like to know how long TRT the Voice of Turkey’s DX Corner has been on the air. Looking through my reference books and station literature I find a mention of it back in 1984 on Saturday nights, but imagine it goes back much further than that. I have vague recollections of hearing it when I started DXing in the 1970s. These days you can hear it on alternate Saturdays at 1345 UTC on 11735 and 12035kHz; 1945 UTC on 6050kHz; 2315 UTC on 5960kHz, and a final repeat, for the Americas, on Sundays at 0415 UTC on 7240 and 9655kHz. If you know the origins of DX Corner, can help out with the IRRS theme or have any other broadcast band news, please do contact me. By email chrissylb@hotmail.co.uk

Richard Cooke was a worried man during the February gales. He was up at 0415UTC to check the antennas but “all were erect and 100% A ok which was a blessing.” The early start was made more bearable by the postal service delivery a few hours later, which brought a pile of QSL cards. “These included a nice letter from Radio Pula Croatia which was very informative. They sent CDs and stacks of stickers and info on Radio Pula - a very kind gesture .” He heard Pula which is part of the Voice of Croatia, on 6165kHz with a five minute English news bulletin at 0700 UTC. Richard writes that The Voice of Croatia broadcasts from three national channels and eight regional stations-Dubrovnik, Knin, Osijek, Paula, Rijeka, Split, Zandar and Sljeme. In 1966 Radio Pula became a part of Radio Zagreb,Radio Pula is a unit inside of Croatian radio television (HRT).

Richard also mentions that Radio Taiwan International are issuing a new QSL card mentioned on Tuesdays “Hear in Taiwan”. I think is a postcard from the 2010-2011 Taipei Flora Expo. As you will probably know by now. 1800 to 1900 UTC on 3965kHz is the place to tune. Other hugely enjoyable programmes to listen to are “Soundwaves” on Mondays, “Time traveller” on Wednesday and “Instant Noodles” on Thursday. The standard and variety of programme, as well as the signal strength via the French transmitter at Issoudon, is always high. There is also an RTI Plus audio channel that gives an extra 30 minutes each day via their website http://english.rti.org.tw/ If you write to the station there is an abundance of pens, pennant and other memorabilia that you might be sent. Email rti@rti.org.tw and the postal address is Radio Taiwan International, 55 Pei- An Rd. Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Radio Prague’s Czech Radio’s shortwave broadcasting expert for the past 40 years has been Oldřich Číp, who also chairs the international High Frequency Co-ordination Committee. He reflected on Radio Prague’s changes, via the station website as well as on the air. “I think that all shortwave stations have some importance still, although the era of shortwave broadcasting has of course changed. It still has value for specific segments of the audience. The delivery methods of international radio have diversified, with the internet and satellites, but shortwave has some specific properties, and it is my very strong belief that there will always be a specific segment of the audience that prefers shortwave broadcasting from terrestrial transmitters to other delivery methods. I am afraid that some of the decision makers in some of the big organisations may cause a domino effect, whereby when they start reducing then the smaller ones follow suit. So I am afraid that the reduction of shortwave broadcasting around the world was made quite hastily and is not a good development...Because shortwave broadcasting bands exist and I believe they will always be used. I think this particular group of listeners will stay tuned to shortwave, and it’s a pity that Radio Prague will not be there.”

Regarding the cuts at Radio Prague and the BBC World Service I feel it is important not to always be over critical of the broadcaster in question. Instead we must remember that the broadcasters’ hands are usually forced by their government’s slashing of the budgets.

Radio Prague does still maintain a presence on shortwave in English, albeit a small one. This is via WRMI Radio Miami International on 9955kHz, daily at 0700 UTC, weekdays at 1000 UTC, and weekends at 1930 UTC. Jeff White, WRMI General Manager, said that "Radio Miami is happy to be able to help Radio Prague stay on the air, just as we did with Radio Slovakia International when its shortwave transmissions were scheduled to end last December 31. We have had close cooperation with Radio Prague for many years now, and we hope this cooperation will continue for many more years.” WRMI is difficult to hear in Europe though. WRMI Radio Miami International, 175 Fontainebleau Blvd., Suite 1N4, Miami, Florida 33172, USA. Email radiomiami9@cs.com

Friday, 8 April 2011

Chrissy Brand looks at websites with a radio connection, this month looking at some off-beat CDs, interval signals on video, the varied uses of blogs about radio, and a selection of internet stations from across the globe.

Sound and visionIf you want to hear some music with a difference I recommend a CD called Music for DXing, by a band called Spunkle. Its 16 tracks have enticing titles such as Sunspots, Hi-Lo and Wax Paper Capacitor. It cleverly mixes “the sounds of shortwave with primeval electronica in a drumless, bassless, trebleless midrange landscape of anticipation.” Originally released for friends and fans in 2003 it is now available on the First Fold Records label www.firstfoldrecords.com/?page_id=1321 There is plenty of background reading about the CD, including “Nine questions about DXing”, which is actually a fascinating backdrop to how such an esoteric CD came about. See also Spunkle’s MySpace page for samples of music and links to other likeminded souls at www.myspace.com/spunklemusic

Amongst the radios and DX catches you can see and hear at the You Tube channel of one K9RZZ is a three part interval signals quiz http://www.youtube.com/user/k9rzz and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqwSaET1NHE How many can you guess correctly? I was distracted by the third in the series when two cats wandered into shot to sit by the warm lamp next to the radio. In similar vein Harrald’s channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/harre67 includes an eight minute sequence of classic interval signals, with the answers given just under the video frame if you need them. Look for the clip labelled “Various interval signals broadcasted (sic) on shortwave” but you have to view them in the main YouTube section rather than directly from Harrald’s channel to see this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFRYKDF2kxs&NR=1 Some beautiful sounds.

Blogs and logs

Blogs can of course be used for whatever the author chooses, be it opinions on world events or baking recipes. In the world of radio sometimes the most simple blogs can be the most effective. For instance, the Sami DX blog simply list the latest DX logs of a Finn. He also adds the occasional QSL card and the briefest of information about himself. Based in the city of Joensuu, Finland, the equipment used is a Sony ICF-SW-7600GR, Eton Satellit 750, Akai AT-VO4, Tecsun PL-310, Eton G3 and a Tangent Quattro. http://saminblogger.blogspot.com/

It is a good example of how easy it is for anyone to blog and to share their radio findings with the world.

At the other end of the blogosphere we have a busy looking site that has a myriad of information boxes. They are well laid out with lots of photos and links to world radio. The latest news merges with archive views on radio from countries from Mexico to Bulgaria, along with maps, videos and news clips. http://yimber-gaviria.blogspot.com/

It is in Spanish when you arrive at the link but a quick click on the union flag should take you to an English language version, for most items anyway.

A more conventional, and therefore wordy, blog is that of M6RDP in Torquay. I particularly like the photo which demonstrates his QSL cards. They are cleverly displayed in a large plastic wallet which hangs on the back of a door. The cards are therefore protected and can also be changed for others when you tire of them. http://qrpstationm6rdp.blogspot.com/2010 This will give you a flavour of this interesting blog , which includes photos of restoration projects along with other everyday thoughts: “It never fails to amaze me that my 5W or 10W signal can travel up into space at the speed of light and bounce back to earth hundreds or even thousands of miles away.... I have been a SWLer for almost 30 years, and with a short break to explore the world of amateur radio (which is now my second-favourite branch of this terrific radio hobby of ours) I am just as interested, if not more so, in SWLing as I was when I was 15. My first SW radio was a, what looked like, half-finished homebrew receiver lent to me by the next door neighbour on my parents’ farm who was a licensed radio amateur very keen on CW. It had no lid or sides and I remember all the coils inside and being so inspired by the way signals could travel so very far. Listening that Christmas to Swiss Radio International was one of the most exciting and inspiring experiences of my life. It set me out on a path I have never, for one moment, regretted and have always, without fail totally enjoyed. The hobby is a real joy and blessing and I can't imagine life without it.”

Another blog which I like to simply sit and stare at contains beautiful classic French receivers http://collectionneurdetsfetradio.blogspot.com/ This is the blog of Jean-Pierre Mallard in Marne. There are some amazing examples of classic 1950s design here, with my favourite being a 1954 Sonolor. Although to be honest each time I have a look at the dozen or so radios I have a new favourite. What I find even more remarkable is that these have all been unearthed at flea markets and brought back to their original condition.

Radio requests

Bradley Allan asks if there any websites that document Radio New York Worldwide (call sign WNYW) which was a commercial shortwave station from the 1960s and 1970s. There are several and I’ll start with a timeline of the station along with other similar ones from that era at the Northern Star website in Norway, specifically http://www.northernstar.no/wnyw3.htm

Northern Star were an organisation who hoped to broadcast internationally on long wave about a decade back but their plans did not come to fruition. Spearheaded by Father Svenn Martinsen they still have plans for a similar venture.

Bradley also asks if there is a specific website for Radio 390 International, which was a former offshore pirate, or free radio, station. The short answer is that there are plenty! The Offshore Radio website has a page of photos and memories at

Radio Slovakia International has revamped its website and it looks very slick and modern, be it in Slovak, English or any of the other language services. To hear live broadcasts online go to the “program” calendar to find the language and times of broadcast, and then decide when to listen live http://www.slovakradio.sk/radio-international-en

Now for a quick look at a radio portal with a twist, or in this case with a shake

http://www.radioshaker.com/ There are links here to a huge variety of local radio from around the world. But what makes it a bit different from many web portals is the novelty aspect of clicking on the “shaker” icon. Each time you do so, it randomly selects a new grid of 45 station logos for you to explore. It is a good way of ensuring you always investigate new radio stations.

In doing so WILK 103.1 News Radio from Pennsylvania was an entertaining lunchtime listen (lunchtime in the UK, breakfast time in the US east). MDR Sputnik was a electronica and dance station in Germany, which I would never have tried had it not popped up at the shaker, and which provided an interesting audio excursion. Radiocale in Milan proved to be an ‘80s retro station which played some familiar and some less familiar tunes, which was a nice listen. Radio Tora is religion from Israel, Alfa Fado was a world music station in Paris http://radioalfa986.net/ , WUAK was the University of Alabama radio station and Radio Tamaulipas 107.9 in Mexico which is a public and community station.

An interesting US college station is WFMU http://wfmu.org/ that broadcast in New York and the Hudson Valley. They are an “an independent freeform station” and create an entertaining blend of music and talk with programmes and features that include the history of skate rock, Seven second delay and Coffee break for heroes and villains. They also run a very readable blog entitled WFMU Beware of the Blog along with archive audio and podcasts at http://blog.wfmu.org/

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About Me

All views here at DX International are Chrissy's and not necessarily those of any organisations she is associated with. ////This blog contains a selection of Chrissy's articles, mostly those published in Radio User, plus her views on radio. She writes the monthly columns 'Radio Websites' and ' Long, Medium and Shortwave Broadcast Matters:'. Other of her articles published in 'Radio Active', 'Radio User', 'Satellite and Digital Choice' (all UK) and 'Monitoring Times' (US) can be found elsewhere in the radio blog. ////////
Chrissy is also the general editor of the BDXC British DX Club monthly journal 'Communication'. She's co-author of 'Wembley: Stadium of Legends', Tomsett & Brand, Dewi Lewis Media, 2007.
Chrissy also blogs at "Mancunian Wave-glimpses of Greater Manchester": http://mancunianwave.blogspot.com/
You can email her chrissylb@hotmail.co.uk